TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Wednesday November 22, 1978
Sifting through
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
7DHnPDC0?
Salem Scene
An exclusive to Oregon's weekly newspapers
BY Jack Zimmeran
Victorious candidates for
seats in the Oregon Legisla
ture may become more disap
pointed with the outcome of
this year's General Election
with each passing day.
Although initially pleased
that voters propelled them
into office or restored their
membership in that lawmak
ing body, the growing disap
pointment may stem from the
way voters responded to the 11
measures on the statewide
ballot.
Seldom has the electorate
been faced with such an array
of emotion-laden issues. And
each boasts an extensive
history of legislative debate.
How handy it would have
been for busy legislators if
voters had settled those issues
at the polls. The people voted.
But the problems remain.
Technically, the Legislature
has only four or five specific
duties to perform during its
odd-year regular sessions. It
must appropriate money to
run the state its institutions,
judiciary, executive depart
ment, etc. It must raise
revenue sufficient to cover
those appropriations. It must
enact regulatory legislation
applying to franchised enter
prises, such as utilities. And
fourth, it must provide care
for the wards of the state. This
item of business includes
public education and welfare
and those two subjects have
grown in scope enough to be
considered the Legislature's
fifth official duty.
According to law, once those
four or five functions have
been performed, our law
makers can go home. But it
doesn't work that way.
Appropriating money to run
the state and agreeing to a tax
program that will raise cor
responding revenue have be
come such gigantic tasks as
the size of government has
increased that nearly six
months are required to do
those jobs.
In the meantime, the fourth
and fifth responsibilities are
'osely tied to the first two and
cne third the subject of
regulation has grown to en
compass some aspect of
almost every human endeav- -or.
So while the budget
settling Ways & Means and
Revenue Committees struggle
to balance income with outgo,
the rest of our lawmakers
become occupied with literal
ly thousands of bills dealing
with everything under the sun.
How nice it would have been
indeed, if voters had dealt
decisively with those issues on
the ballot. Measure No. 1
sought reform in the manner
we elect appellate and tax
court judges. The people
turned it down but the issue is
far from dead. No. 2 granted
the Senate confirmation
power over gubernatorial ap
poinments. By passing it,
voters have sustained another
task for a portion of that
overworked lawmaking body.
No. 3 sought more revenue for
highways, roads and streets.
Its failure dumps the problem
of financing adequate main
tainance of deteriorating
thoroughfares right back in
the Legislature's lap. Failure
of No. 4 will not halt the
perennial movement to create
more people's utility districts.
And passage of the denturist
measure is bound to prompt
continuing pressure from
dental and medical profes
sions for modification or
outright repeal.
Failure of Measure 6 and 11
provide basis for the greatest
legislative disappointment of
all. Lawmakers certainly re
cognize the overwhelming
desire of their constituents for
property tax relief and limit
ing government spending. But
the voters turned down both
the people's own initiative and
the legislature's alternative.
Back to the old drawing board.
Failure of the initiative that
would have prohibited state
funded abortions probably
won't blunt the movement to
halt the practice and passage
of the limited death penalty
measure already has drawn a
storm of protest from lawyer
members of the Legislature,
who doubt its legality and
already are preparing modifi
cations. Passage of No. 9 likely will
see electric utilities seeking
some other formula for financ
ing construction of new gener
ating facilities. And failure of
No. 10 won't keep lawmaker
from modifying the state's
land use law.
Meanwhile, Legislative
Council, the bill-drafting arm
of the Oregon Legislature,
reports it already has receiv
ed a record number of
requests to write bills for
introduction when our law
makers convene in Salem Jan.
8.
Little wonder then if some
Legislators are disappointed
at least part of the election
results couldn't have been
different.
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FROM READERS
Proposed Portland rail system is defended
Editor:
I noted with interest the letter in the November 9
Heppner Gazette-Times by Tom Armstrong of Portland
regarding the proposed light rail commuter line between
Portland and Gresham, Oregon. Unfortunately, much of the
information supplied in that letter was misleading, and some
of the "facts" were simply untrue.
True, the Portland-Gresham transportation project will
cost $161 million. But of that figure, less than $44 million is for
about 14 miles of electric railway; almost $64 million is for
widening about 4 miles of the Banfield Freeway, and the
remainder is for other auto-related projects such as road
alterations and auto parking lots! On a cost-per-mile basis,
that works out to be $15.9 million per mile of road; for the
railway, only $3.14 million per mile less than one-fifth as
much. Put another way, $44,000,000 for 14 miles of light rail
line will take a lot fewer tax dollars than a new urban
"freeway," typical costs of which range from $50,000,000 to
$100,000,000 per mile.
The light rail line is projected to handle about 20 per cent of
the transit ridership of Tri-Met by 1990, which translates to
well over 50,000 people. This projection is the equivalent of
Parent group is forming
Editor:
We, the following, would like to form a group of parents
and teachers in which together we could improve, help and
support our public schools. We know there is a drug and
alcohol problem; there are discipline problems and
communication could be improved. We would like to assist
somehow to make our schools better.
All concerned parents and interested teachers are
encouraged to meet Monday, Nov. 27, at 7:30 p.m., Heppner
Elementary School Multipurpose room. There are strong and
weak points ot our schools and our goal is to do what we can
to facilitate our youth in gaining the best education possible.
Dan and Rarbara James
Bethal and Paul llcinrichs
Steve and Vicki Tollefson
Paul and Jeanne Sumner
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
$8.00 In Morrow, Umatilla, Whseler & Gilliam County; $10.00 elsewhere
The Heppner
ETTE-TME
Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Published every Thursday and entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, under the Act
of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage paid at Heppner, Oregon.
G.M. Reed, Publisher
Rick Steelhammer, News Editor
Gayle Rush, Composition
Dolores Reed, Co-yublishs'
Eileen Saling, Office Manager.
Kyra Query, Composition
Ron Jordan, Printer
Terry M. linger, Managing Editor
Justine Weatherford, Locai Columnist
Cindi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice
35,000 auto trips, which means substantial decreases in
traffic congestion for those (like possibly Mr. Armstrong)
who still want to use their autos, as well as accompanying
reduction in air pollution. The light rail line will provide
faster and more attractive service than busses in more
comfortable, more spacious vehicles which are electrically
propelled. They will be quieter than automobiles and
drastically more energy efficient and enviromentally less
disturbing, which will serve to keep Mr. Armstong's
neighborhood stable and unspoiled and will assure the
further development of the central downtown area of
Portland. Without the light rail system, they will not be able
to transport the number of people to the planned new office
buildings by any other means, bus or auto.
The freeway widening, on the other hand, will do nothing
to meet the need for additional traffic capacity between 1-5
and Gresham . It provides no buses or other vehicles to carry
travellers. Road building does not diminish petroleum
consumption. It does not curtail air pollution which spreads
far beyond the metropolitan area. It does nothing to mitigate
vehicular collisions, which drive up the cost of auto
insurance.
Road building greedily consumes land diminishing the
area subject to taxes, which means increased taxes for
Morrow County residents to offset the diminished receipts
from metropolitan area contributors. Funds proposed to
build and equip a light railway .will be spent to accomodate
Portland area travel, whatever the technology selected. To
serve a given magnitude of traffic, a railway will consume ,
less funding than equivalent" roarj-vehicle projects, this
means more funding available for badly needed road
improvements in portions of Oregon where travel density is
insufficient to warrant railway construction, such as Morrow .
County. . .
Many paving contractors, petroleum companies,
highway bureaucrats, trucking tradespersons, auto dealers, .
et al, jealously seek to maintain the virtual monopoly they
hold on land transportation. By stirring up an antagonism in
outlying counties such as ours, they aim to scuttle any
proposal for utilizing the advantages of railway technology
for Portland area passenger service.. This is truly
unfortunate, because when viewed from a broad perspective, .
localized rail development serves to directly or indirectly
benefit everyone throughout the state.
Tndeed, I intend to write to my legislators tfls Mr. '
Armstrong wisely suggested, but my letters will be to
support and encourage further development of rail travel
whenever and whn . , possible. - J - -
Sincerely,
Rodney A. Aho
Oregon Association of Railway Passengers
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The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
676-9228
the TIMES
The Thanksgiving holiday season 30 years ago this week
was spent marooned in a blizzard in Nebraska by Mrs.
Leonard Pate of Heppner.
The blizzard the worst in the Midwest in recent
years struck while the Heppner woman was traveling by
bus to attend her father's funeral. A heavy snow storm,
whipped by 85-mile-an-hour winds, prevented the bus from
negotiating a hill, forcing the vehicle to back two miles into
tiny Creighton, Neb. a town that was already filled with
stranded travelers.
In Creighton, Mrs. Pate and her fellow storm refugees
waited and passed the holiday season as best they could,
without the benefit of electricity or ample breathing room.
A white Thanksgiving also greeted Morrow Countians 50
years ago this week, when more than an inch blanketed
Heppner. While the snow was falling during that week in 1928,
James Thomson Jr., then an employee in his family's Main
Street grocery store, was packing for an adventure.
Thomson, along with Heppner railroad depot manager
E.C. Amspoker and Crocket Sprouls, departed their
hometown for Seattle, where they boarded a steamer bound
for Yokohama, Japan, to begin a three month tour of the
Orient. Amspoker had made several trips to the Far East,
and was able to share his knowledge of the area with his
younger companions.
After Thomson returned several months later, he went
on to operate the Thomson Brothers grocery. He retired this
summer.
Sixty years ago this week, Heppner schools opened after
a forced, five-week vacation due to a nation-wide influenza
epidemic.
School buildings were thoroughly fumigated and aired
prior to their re-opening. School officials planned to cut down
play hours for the remainder of the year in order to make up
for the study time lost to the epidemic of flu.
During the same week in 1918, an estimated budget for
Morrow County government during the coming year was
published in the Gazette-Times. Salaries for the sheriff,
assessor and schools superintendent were set at $1,200 per
year each. The county clerk was allocated the biggest
paycheck a whopping $2,000 for the year. A total of $1,570
was set aside for the care of the poor, while $3,000 went for
"scalp bounties" on predatory animals. A total of $500 was
budgeted to feed the county's jail inmates for a one-year
period.
LeRoy's Famous Jazz Orchestra of Portland was booked
for an appearance at Heppner's fair pavilion this week in
1918, for a county Peace Celebration Ball.
A man arrested by Heppner police on a vagrancy charge
25 years ago this week turned out to be wanted by the FBI for
car theft in California.
Harold Fairchild of Gardiner, Ore., purchased about $60
in clothing from Wilson's Men's Wear, paying with a counter
check written on a Portland bank for $74.05. Store manager
Delmar Jordan was naturally suspicious of the transaction
and summoned the police.
A check of fingerprints was made after it was learned
that Fairchild had no account at the Portland bank, revealing
that the vagrant was on the FBI wanted list.
Ten years ago this week, the lone Cardinals lost a bid to
advance to the finals in state football playoff competition,
when they were steamrollered 66-26 by the Huntington
Locomotives.
During the same week in 1968, Navy officials told the
local Chamber of Commerce that the Boardman Bombing
Range was "absolutely vital" to military flight training.
Picture Credit
The ever-noticeable housing shortage in Heppner will
be helped somewhat as a six home subdivision on
Chase Street gets underway. John VanWinkle of
Heppner's First Federal Savings & Loan and Jerry
Murrell of J & D Construction in Boardman, look over
plans on one of the homes on the hill overlooking
Heppner. VanWinkle said his company's financing of
the project exemplifies First Federal's committment
to the community to help alleviate housing problems.
Where to write
Federal
Following is a list of Oregon and Eastern Oregon public
officials for the information of readers who want to
communicate with them:
U.S. Sen. Mark O. Hatfield. Russell Senate Office Bldg.,
Washington, D.C. 20510. Member of Appropriations
Committee, Interior Committee, Rules Committee and
Indian Policy Review Commission. Portland office , Pioneer
Courthouse, Rm. 107, 520 SW Morrison, Portland, Ore. 97204,
phone 221-3386.
U.S. Sen Bob Packwood, Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.,
Washington, D.C, 20510. Member of Finance Committee and
Commerce Committee. Portland office, 1002 NE Halladay,
Rm. 700. (P.O. Bos 3621), Portland, Ore. 97208, phone
233-4471.
U.S. Rep. Al Ullman, of the Second District, House Office
Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Member of Ways and
Means Committee. Salem office, 530 Center St. N.E., Rm.
330, P.O. Box 247) Salem, Ore., 97308, phone 399-5724.
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